Baseball’s Huge Impact on Sales Performance

I wrote this article on the difference between Sales Process and Sales Methodology and this article on how Sales Models are different from Process and Methodology.

Do you remember algebra?  One such formula may have read like the following: 4 is to 1 as x is to 3.  In this case, x=12.  Did you get that?

Let’s use Algebra to get a better handle on sales methodology and where it fits in the grand scheme of things.  Consider the following formula:

Sports is to Selling as Baseball is to Consultative Selling as Pitching and Defense are to Baseline Selling.

Sports and Selling are both professional activities.  Baseball and Consultative Selling further define the activities with baseball answering the question as to which sport, and consultative answering the question as to which type of selling.

Pitching and Defense are one of many possible methodologies used in baseball as a strategy to win games.  Baseline Selling is the methodology which I recommend in selling as a strategy to win more sales.

Baseline Selling is also a sales process, meaning it has stages, each with a series of steps, milestones and tasks which, if followed according to its design, provide significantly greater odds of repeatable success.  You can use this free tool to measure the effectiveness of your existing sales process.

One of the milestones of the second stage (2nd Base) of Baseline Selling is what I call SOB Quality or, using a baseball term, Speed on the Bases.  I recorded a very short video which explains SOB Quality and how it differentiates your salespeople from the competition.

Dennis Connelly was recently on the phone with a lumber salesperson named Taylor Tankersley.  If you follow baseball, you would know that Taylor is a former Miami Marlins pitcher.  Dennis explained the sales version of SOB Quality to Taylor and had the following interchange:

Dennis: When you were on the mound and there was a guy with great speed on the bases, what were you thinking?

Taylor: I paid more attention to him than anyone else.

Don’t you want your prospects giving all of their attention to your salespeople?  Contact me to learn if they have the ability to develop SOB Quality!